A signed binding by John Sliegh for H. W. Longfellow’s<span

class="book">Evangeline (original) (raw)

Binding

John Sliegh

1856

Coarse red cloth with a gilt design

8¼ x 5¾ inches

This cover typifies Sliegh’s interest in lettering. The design presents the letters in four differing types, in each case complicating the effect by surrounding the words in floral arabesques which recall the Germanic decorative borders of the 1840s. Sleigh’s monogram is placed in a tiny decorative panel at the bottom of the front board.

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Photograph and text by Simon Cooke

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